Social Belonging

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3tOMbZfcEw

Selected Strategies for use in Student Groups:

1. Remind students that concerns about belonging in introductory courses are normal, and many students struggle early on and have doubts. This is not unique to them or groups of which they are a part. Tell students that struggling may make them feel uncertain about belonging, but by learning effective study strategies and getting help, they can be successful and feel more of a sense of belonging over time.
2. Learn students’ names and get to know them. A welcoming and supportive environment where students’ unique identities are valued can go a long way in making students feel like they belong.
3. If you work with students in groups, do activities throughout the semester (but especially at the beginning) to ensure the students get to know each other (e.g., name cards, rotate small groups/pairs, ice breakers)
4. If you’re leading a group of students, ensure that no single person has the chance to dominate discussion. Use strategies that encourage equal participation so that everyone feels valued and no one feels left out.

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Resources:

• Mindset Scholars Network Belonging Resources Page: https://mindsetscholarsnetwork.org/learning-mindsets/belonging/
• Social Belonging Intervention Guide: http://usucoalition.org/documents/Belonging_Intervention_-_Getting_the_message_right.pdf
  • detailed notes by Greg Walton with recommendations for messaging for college students

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Recommended References:

1. Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2011). A brief social-belonging intervention improves academic and health outcomes of minority students. Science, 331, 1447-1451. doi: 10.1126/science.ll98364

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Video References:

1. Baumeister, R. F., DeWall, C. N., Ciarocco, N. J., & Twenge, J. M. (2005). Social exclusion impairs self-regulation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 589-604.
2. Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 497-529.
3. Good, C., Rattan, A., & Dweck. C. S. (2012). Why do women opt out? Sense of belonging and women’s representation in mathematics. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102, 700-717. doi: 10.1037/a0026659
4. Lewis, K. L., Stout, J. G., Finkelstein, N. D., Pollock, S. J., Miyake, A., Cohen, G. L., & Ito, T. A. (2017). Fitting in to move forward: Belonging, gender, and persistence in the physical sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (pSTEM). Psychology of Women Quarterly, 41, doi: 10.1177/0361684317720186
5. Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2011). A brief social-belonging intervention improves academic and health outcomes of minority students. Science, 331, 1447-1451. doi: 10.1126/science.ll98364
6. Yeager, D. S., & Walton, G. M. (2011). Social-psychological interventions in education: They’re not magic. Review of Educational Research, 81, 267-301. doi: 10.3102/0034654311405999